A good chunk of popular music’s real estate has been carved up along lines of age these last half-dozen decades, and we’re used to seeing young musicians aim exclusively for young audiences then flounder as they outgrow teenaged listeners’ tastes and concerns. Pan-generational mentoring and mingling has done much to insulate bluegrass from this coming-of-age quandary. Still, Sierra Hull is the rare soul to make it through these years entirely unscathed.
Secrets—the debut album she recorded at 15, and released at 16—struck the ear with sensibilities that seemed both seasoned and fresh; kids’ stuff this was not. Three years and a move from her family’s home in tiny Byrdstown, Ten. to Boston’s Berklee College of Music later, she’s followed with one of the most surefooted transitions into early adulthood put to record. Thirty seconds into the opening track, she sings a line that puts a fine point on it: “I’m not a child anymore.”
Of course, the evidence of Sierra’s uncommon maturity—musical and personal (one might say she embodies the perfect balance of humility and capability)—has been there all along, and won her formidable fans: by age 11, Alison Krauss had called with an invitation to the Opry stage; by 12, Rounder was expressing interest; first Ron Block and now Barry Bales have served as co-producers, and her studio bands have featured the cream of the contemporary bluegrass crop—Stuart Duncan, Randy Kohrs and Bryan Sutton this time, alongside members of Sierra’s own crack band Highway 111. Then there’s the fact that Berklee gave her the school’s most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholarship, a first for a bluegrass musician; her choice to accept it, to delay her dream of hitting the road full-time after high school in favor of expanding her musical worldview, was hardly a light one.
If ever the “child prodigy” label did Sierra justice, its usefulness has completely fallen away and a distinctive new identity emerged. What you hear on Daybreak is one of bluegrass’s few full-fledged virtuosic instrumentalist/singer/songwriters, and one who’s gracefully grown into her gifts. While her mandolin playing has always possessed clarity and fleet-fingered precision, here she attacks her solos with newfound spontaneity and depth of feeling; she calls it “playing with a point to prove.” Her singing—always straight and true—has more heartfelt power behind it, to results Bales describes, simply, as “doing the songs justice.”
As for the songs, Sierra’s first album held just a few originals, but she wrote seven of these twelve, a collection that stands up quite well next to the outside material. There’s a pair of sprightly instrumentals, her first-ever western swing number and several that show her emotional sophistication: in songs that fall squarely in the bluegrass tradition, feelings are out in the open; during country-leaning compositions, she ponders relationships from more introspective angles; and the title track—a breathtaking pop ballad—is the most ruminative moment of all.
Boundaries—age, genre or otherwise—don’t hamper an artist like Sierra. She’s already earned considerable respect in the bluegrass world, the IBMA’s voting members having nominated her for no fewer than five awards over three years—there’s a good chance she’ll be the first woman to win the mandolin category. But as a player, a singer and a songwriter, she also has remarkable range, the potential to win over ears unfamiliar with Bill Monroe and give performances of broad cultural importance, as she’s done at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the National Prayer Breakfast. Matt Glaser—head of Berklee’s American Roots Music Program—put it this way: “She has no limitations as a musician.” Daybreak is certainly a noteworthy arrival; you can’t help but feel it’s also just the beginning.
- Jewly Hight, Nashville, Tennessee, January 2011
Pretend
Sierra Hull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it tells me that you love me too
I can see it your smile and even if it takes a while
My heart will soon belong to you
Chorus
Cause I can give you a love like you've never felt before
And I know that somehow the way I feel you can't ignore
If you really love me then why do we pretend?
But for some odd reason me and you act like you don't see
But darling you know I do
When it all comes down to two you know I pray it's me and you
Love is just too good to lose
Chorus
Cause I can give you a love like you've never felt before
And I know that somehow the way I feel you can't ignore
But baby you have got my heart hanging off the end
If you really love me then why do we pretend?
Love's forever bound till my walls come tumblin' down
But a fear, turned to faith, comes to love
Chorus
Cause I can give you a love like you've never felt before
And I know that somehow the way I feel you can't ignore
But baby you have got my heart hanging off the end
If you really love me then why do we pretend?
If you really love me then why do we pretend?
In Sierra Hull's song "Pretend," the singer is in a one-sided relationship where they can see their love reflected in their partner's eyes, but their partner continues to pretend that they do not feel the same way. The singer is trying to communicate their love to their partner and let them know that they can offer them a type of love like they have never felt before. They question why their partner would continue to pretend if they truly love them. Despite this, the singer hopes that their love will eventually be reciprocated, and they do not want to lose something as good as what they have with their partner.
The lyrics explore the theme of unrequited love and the frustration that comes with it. The singer is confident in their feelings and knows that they can offer their partner a type of love that they have never experienced before. However, despite the expression of their love and the signals their partner is giving off, they are not getting the response they want. The singer is frustrated with the pretence and wants their partner to be honest with their feelings. The song also highlights the importance of communication in relationships and how not expressing one's feelings can lead to misunderstandings and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
The reflection in your eyes is one you can't disguise
I can see the love you have for me reflected in your eyes, and you cannot hide it.
And it tells me that you love me too
The reflection in your eyes reveals your love for me as well.
I can see it your smile and even if it takes a while
I can also see your love for me in your smile, and I am willing to wait for you to fully realize it.
My heart will soon belong to you
Despite the wait, I know that my heart will eventually belong to you.
Cause I can give you a love like you've never felt before
I am confident that the love I have for you is like no other you have experienced.
And I know that somehow the way I feel you can't ignore
I am certain that you cannot ignore the depth of my feelings for you.
But baby you have got my heart hanging off the end
My heart is completely in your hands, and I am vulnerable to your love.
If you really love me then why do we pretend?
If you truly love me, then why are we pretending that our feelings aren't mutual?
But for some odd reason me and you act like you don't see
Despite the clear signs of our mutual love, we sometimes act as if one of us doesn't see it.
But darling you know I do
However, I know that you are aware of my love for you.
When it all comes down to two you know I pray it's me and you
Ultimately, when it comes down to just the two of us, I hope that we end up together.
Love is just too good to lose
Our love is too valuable to be lost or wasted.
Love's forever bound till my walls come tumblin' down
Our love is strong and will last until the end of time.
But a fear, turned to faith, comes to love
Even though there may be fear in our hearts, we can overcome it with faith and let love guide us.
If you really love me then why do we pretend?
The repeated line emphasizes the question of why we are pretending when our love is real.
Contributed by Sydney M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
mark howell
Love your vocals, that old down home Kentucky , Tennessee hills picking and harmonies! You're such a great talent! Don't you ever stop! Thank you for your music!!!
mer meow
She is the epitome of grace and cool
René NK
such a wonderful voice...
Bubba Smith
I absolutely LOVE this song Sierra!! :)
Deku Wreck You
lovely voice great talent
Tom Fixmer
She has the best of Alison Krauss and Suzy Boguss. What a great talent.
Holly Eib
I love her listening to her. She has the same sweet, clear, voice as Allison Krauss.
sevets2000
Very, very nice - in fact, it's fantastic!
keen wolf
First time hearing you . That voice though 😍
Mihai Boata
shes an angel